THURSDAYY N NOVEMBER OVEMBER 19, 2009
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Green Corn Revival will perform in Norman this weekend. Find the preview inside. PAGE 11
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FIRST-DEGREE ARSON HEATS UP CRIME ON CAMPUS Chemistry department coordinator charged with starting three fires RICKY MARANON Daily Staff Writer
An OU staff member has been charged with three counts of first-degree arson in relation to three small fires that occurred in the Chemistry Building earlier this semester. Susan Lauterbach, coordinator of instructional labs and facility safety for the OU chemistry and biochemistry department, was charged with three counts of arson Tuesday after she allegedly attempted to start fires in the Chemistry Building and the Chemistry Annex Sept. 8, 10 and 11, Cleveland County
District Court documents stated. not my problem.” “It was learned through the course of this Lauterbach has been on administrative investigation that Lauterbach’s lack of in- leave since mid-September and will remain terpersonal skills had been specifiso until the case is resolved, OU cally criticized and noted during her spokesman Jay Doyle stated in an personnel evaluation and through e-mail. statements from other supervisors Leach later states that Lauterbach and co-workers,” OU Fire Marshal was angry with the OU Chemistry Kevin Leach stated in a probable Department for not including her cause affidavit. “Lauterbach had a in conversations regarding the inpersonal dislike for her supervisor stallation of security cameras in the Robert Houser and believed him to chemistry buildings. Lauterbach SUSAN be an adversary.” also felt she was unappreciated and Leach states Lauterbach sent an LAUTERBACH undercompensated and that her e-mail to a colleague that seemed authority had been downgraded, questionable in how she felt toward Houser. Leach stated. “I’m not fighting with him anymore,” “Control of the budget for the Instructional Lauterbach states. “If the building burns, it’s Labs had been taken away from [her],” Leach
stated. “Lauterbach had become upset with how changes were occurring in the chemistry department and her role in the decision making process.” While OU officials investigated the fire Sept. 11, Leach stated Lauterbach attempted to interfere with the investigation. “Lauterbach was a disgruntled employee that was looking for other employment,” Leach stated. Leach stated the fire in room 326 of the Chemistry Annex Sept. 8 was found to be intentionally set. “I have determined that the fire was intentionally set by igniting paper towels inside a locked teaching assistant closet located ARSON CONTINUES ON PAGE 2
International students adjust to US drinking laws Power outage leaves students in the dark Students stuck in elevator during blackout RICKY MARANON Daily Staff Writer
laws by his friends in Italy. He was not, however, told that beer from gas stations could not be higher than 3.2 percent alcohol by volume. Prasad said the first time he drank beer from a gas station in Oklahoma it felt like he was drinking water. “The fact that you’re drinking more, [makes] you think you’re getting more drunk, but you’re actually just fooling yourself,” Prasad said. Prasad’s roommate, Saydi Nurmanov, is a petroleum engineering senior and
Two students were trapped in an elevator of Couch Center Wednesday morning because of a power outage. At 5:20 a.m., a power outage occurred in campus housing, a few academic buildings, and the Oklahoma Memorial Union, OU Physical Plant spokeswoman Amanda Hearn stated in an e-mail. The Physical Plant experienced an electrical cable fault in OU’s underground utility system, and crews restored power to campus housing by approximately 7:20 a.m., she stated. “We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused and appreciate the understanding of the OU community,” Hearn stated. “Power outages are uncommon, but our system may occasionally experience a fault. When that happens, we just do our best to return power to campus as soon and safely as possible.” Hearn stated when the electricity went out, two students were trapped in an elevator in Couch Center. Allen Hicks, University College freshman, was on the first floor of Couch Center and assisted in helping the two students get out of the elevator. “I was on [the 10th floor] when the power went out,” Hicks said. “I wasn’t sure what was going on at the time so I thought that it’d be safe if I went down to the first floor just in case there was an emergency.” Hicks said when arrived on the first floor, he saw an OU employee trying to open the doors to the elevator.
DRINKING CONTINUES ON PAGE 2
DARK CONTINUES ON PAGE 2
PHOTO PROVIDED BY SAGDI NURMANOV
At a bar in Kazakhstan, Sagdi Nurmanov (left), petroleum engineering senior, toasts a beer with his neighborhood friend Nariman Tokymbekov. At the time of the photo, Nurmanov was 18, which was of legal age to drink in Kazahkstan, but not in the United States.
First drink in other countries often a family experience TROY WEATHERFORD Daily Staff Writer
Eight years after his first drink and five years after first legally purchasing alcohol in Italy, Rakash Prasad was finally old enough to drink in Oklahoma. Prasad, computer engineering senior, came to OU from Italy when he was 18 years old. He had been going to bars in Italy since he was 13, but waited three years before he could enter a bar in the United States at 21.
“It’s [screwed] up, because all of a sudden you can’t drink,” Prasad said. In Italy, there is no minimum drinking age. Although bar-goers are supposed to be at least 16, bartenders never checked IDs, Prasad said. Prasad said he didn’t stop drinking when he got to the United States, he merely adjusted his habits. Although he stopped going to bars, more stricter drinking laws didn’t stop him from drinking in his dorm room and at parties, he said. Before coming to the U.S., Prasad said he was warned about differences in the alcohol
Times reporter speaks to students Former OU football star leads blood drive Speaker says reporting overseas difficult but necessary
Students help blood shortage, give back through donations
CAITLIN HARRISON Daily Staff Writer
Richard Oppel, Jr. is no stranger to international affairs, but he said Wednesday while visiting OU that more newspapers are unaccustomed to foreign issues than ever before. Oppel, New York Times foreign affairs correspondent, said Wednesday while his newspaper and a few prominent others have several reporters placed in countries like Afghanistan and Pakistan to cover conflict, many papers no longer do so. “I think collectively, it’s the kind of story you would think the media would collectively have more people covering, but it’s an expensive story to cover too, and now’s not the right time to be covering expensive stories,” Oppel said. Mike Boettcher, journalism and international and area studies professor and friend of Oppel, said it seems like there are fewer reporters these days who want to cover conflict halfway across the world. REPORTER CONTINUES ON PAGE 2
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Richard Oppel, Jr., foreign affairs correspondent for the New York Times, answers questions from students in a military diplomacy class Wednesday afternoon in Hester Hall.
Cross since February. “I was working in Dallas, but the director, who’s an alumna of OU, offered me this position in Norman,” Perkins said. “Since I played football in Norman, it was a good SUMMAYAH ANWAR Daily Staff Writer idea to be back around campus. It will be a good opportunity for me to give back to the Antonio Perkins set records and played community.” for championships while decked out in OU’s Perkins was not alone in wanting to give crimson and cream. Now, he’s doing his back to the community. part to boost a different kind of Cleveland “I want to be able to help out those who County crimson. suffered at Fort Hood and anyPerkins is the blood donor reone else who needs it,” said Justin cruitment representative for the McCullough, University College American Red Cross in the Cleveland freshman. County area. Tricia Vanscoy, however, was a “I hope to get at least 40 people little anxious. here today, if not more,” Perkins said “I’m scared to death of needles, Wednesday while sitting in the OU but I’m still going to give blood. I Armory. “I want to make students want to give back to the community and this community aware of how ANTONIO and help save lives,” said Vanscoy, crucial blood donations are. Blood PERKINS pre-dental hygiene sophomore. is used for everything from [chemoPerkins said her donation could therapy] to premature births. Surgeons even be life-saving, and not just for one person. plan surgeries around the availability of “One person’s donation can save up blood. I want people to be better informed to three lives. That’s a pint of blood that of the process. Blood is currently obtained could save three lives,” Perkins said. “Every only through donations.” Perkins has been working with the Red BLOOD DRIVE CONTINUES ON PAGE 2
© 2009 OU PUBLICATIONS BOARD
VOL. 95, NO. 65